Multiple myeloma .
- It is a multifocal malignancy of plasma cells of the blood.
- It is the most common malignancy of bone in adults. It occurs in people over the age of 50, with a mean age of 60 years.
- It is frequently located in the jaws, with mandible being affected more often than maxilla.
- During the early stages of the disease, jaw lesions appear as multiple small, round or ovoid radiolucencies (punched-out). Some lesions may appear ragged and infiltrative. As the disease progresses the multiple radiolucencies may form a large single lesion with ill defined borders and cortex infiltration.
- Symptoms: pain, swelling, hypoesthesia and tooth mobility. Large lesions can cause pathological fractures.
